Sunday, July 28, 2013

Outside my window...mostly sunny, not too hot on the thermometer, but the humidity is set on "sauna - high setting," with lovely rainstorms randomly appearing through the weekend.

I am thinking...about 7 posts in 7 days epic challenge is now officially over. I had to scrape up posts on a few days, but since I don't cover anything too significant here anyway, I can do a few posts with pictures, and I'm happy. I have enjoyed reading so many other blogs this week, meeting some new blogging folks out there and will have to make time to catch up on others.

What can I do but vote and pray?
I can educate myself and my children in their Faith, live our Faith, remember heaven is our home. We are encouraged from Our Lady of Fatima to pray, fast and make sacrifices for our sins and for the sins of all sinners and unbelievers.

A sweet man approached me after mass and gave me a lesson on South America Marian Apparitions. I have a love and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and due to having friends from Columbia and Venezuela, I was aware of their countries' patronesses. We discussed the centennial anniversary of Fatima is a short three years away. I was riveted by his accounts of Our Lady of Good Success from Ecuador and Our Lady of Las Lajas (Columbia/Ecuador border) and plan to start my own study and research. If you have any resources to recommend, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a comment.

I am going...to work on the Five First Saturdays devotion. starting with this coming Saturday. I have found this much more difficult to fulfill than the 9 First Fridays to Sacred Heart. It is only 5 compared to 9, but a little more is required:

1. Go to confession**

2. Receive Holy Communion

3. Say five decades of the Holy Rosary

4. Meditate for fifteen minutes on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. (in addition to the prayers).

**"During the apparition of February 15, 1926, Sister

Lucia presented Our Lord the problem some people had

of confessing on Saturdays. She asked Our Lord if the

confession would be valid if done within a period of

eight days before or eight days after the first Saturday.

Our Lord answered: “Yes, it can even be within many

more days, provided they are in the state of grace when

they receive Me, and have the intention of offering reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

"Many ask why Our Lady asked her children to observe FIVE first Saturdays. Our Lady told Sister Lucia the five Saturdays are to make reparation for the five kinds of offenses and blasphemies uttered against her Immaculate Heart.

The offenses are 1.) against her Immaculate Conception,

2.) against her virginity,

3.) against her Divine maternity,

4.) by those who openly seek to foster in the hearts of children indifference, or even hatred, for this Immaculate Mother, and

5.) by those who directly outrage her holy images."

I am thankful...to have a supportive husband. And my heart is still singing for the good news of our new parish!!!

I am creating...Christmas present plans for hand made gifts to and between the children. The girls are going to make another nature bag for their sister (shhhh) and Nicholas is going to remake a couple of end tables to work better for me and the girls.

Farewell to Shady Glade
Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent
Chester the World Pig
She also like to sit, and get our attention to retell the story based on the pictures. Bill Peet's illustrations are great. My children have enjoyed trying to duplicate his style with colored pencils many a hour.

I am watching...Whistleblower ... A very hard to watch drama about human trafficking.

I am looking forward to...seeing my boys Monday evening!, enjoying some Shakespeare performances over the next few weeks, and celebrating some family members' birthdays at the end of the week.

Around the house... dejunking has gone well, but I hit a big block at the schoolroom door. Cleaning and organizing that room means I need to start planning and organizing for the fall. So, instead, I helped mow the lawn, weed the garden and reset and clean the pool (featured a little in yesterday's post).

A little hope...

Today the mini pool is all clean and clear. With all kids gone, except our constantly talking companion Lilly, Craig and I had time to talk about this next school year, my frustrations with prior years, and we developed a new plan. I am now excited about it, and can go forward. He helped me get through the door, literally and mentally, and he repaired a broken bookcase and the little girls toy kitchen table. Have I mentioned that I love having my husband home?! I still have some finish work in that room, but I have a vision on how I want it for the start of our year. No more procrastination. I am getting those back to school butterflies about it.

I've always been a fan of Barbara's and I bet she has fun giving him a hard time about his new look.

4

I love this massage lotion!

It is full of homeopathic remedies to help soothe muscles. It has worked wonders for my shoulder, a long term deep tissue injury, and this this lotion helped loosen the muscles. I now have mobility in my shoulder I hadn't had for two years.
It was given to me as a gift from my mom. When it ran out, I could not find it sold anywhere online, only at Whole Foods. I have had a unofficial boycott of Whole Foods, mostly because I have found them to be anti-family, anti-big family, anti-family on any kind of a budget. I enjoy stores like HEB and recently new to our area Trader Joe's for an alternative. But WF was the only one I could find who had this lotion in stock.

So, I broke my over ten year long boycott of the anti family over priced food monster to go and buy several bottles.

I discovered there are two kinds:

The purple cap is good for an evening shoulder rub, soothing, relaxing.
The red cap combination is powerful, and smells like menthol and camphor, and tingles the skin for almost an hour after applied.

5

Every one of my kids has enjoyed the "which dog are we" game in the Go Dogs Go book. Do your kids do this? All my six kids pick Craig as the blue dog handing out cake, or swinging with them in the bottom right corner. I am usually assigned as the happy yellow dog handing out cake.

It's kinda of a one person game, because when more gather around the book, they tend to claim the same dog.

6

Still without internet and tv (except coverage on my phone) so I haven't been able to follow much of WYD.

"The young – he said - who do not have the experience and the dignity of work, and the aged who are not allowed to speak are being marginalized.And Pope Francis invited young people to go out and to fight for these values: he urged the aged to speak out, to pass on history and memory, and said that young people must not be against the elderly: “they must listen to them”."

7

7 posts in 7 days blogging challenge
has been fun to participate,
but even better to read the flood of Catholic bloggers posts on the internet this week!
Thanks to Jen for inspiring so many to take the challenge.
Happy Friday!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Askew.... Lots of choices around here. I laughed after reading Cari's post. My house might be an overload to someone with straightening sensibilities, but I don't mind if you straightened them during a visit.

These two always sit at an angle,

So I've decided, maybe it is the wall that's askew. Just keep your head slightly cocked and you'll be fine. Now, that's better:

Or maybe it's just this photographer that can't capture a picture straight.

I wanted to show a close up anyway. Peruvian religious art is my favorite. It puts me in a good mood and makes the area feel home-y. This painting always inspires me to cook good food for my kids.

It had been raining on and off for days, and we needed to get out of the house. Ceci and Lilly thought we were due for a bike ride to the park. The park was saturated. An energetic little boy, Ryan, was already there playing in the puddles. The girls were convinced it looked like fun despite the water. They tried to stay dry, then gave in and had fun splashing around the slides and swings.

Ryan's mom was there and we realized we had met before a way back. She's was fun to visit with: conversations about politics, the state of the local college education system, and recent changes in the scouts. We agreed money corrupts in each area. Lively discussion, the girls and I barely made it home by dark.

A Happy surprise

My adopted bald cypress tree is growing. At the 4th of July picnic, a Cub Scout asked me to adopt a tree. He handed me a plastic cup, stuck a stick in it, invited me to fill it up with dirt that he had in a bucket. He advised I keep it wet and it would grow into a great tree. I had my doubts as it just looked like a stick, but now look at it today:

Funny

Ceci made sailboat snacks since sailing is on her mind. She is missing her brothers while they are on the real thing..

For you Max & Nick

She offered to share her snack's ingredients:

Rice cracker boat

A soft cheese spread

Walnut for the sailor

Basil leaf sail

Real

Basil leaf sails look better than they taste, according to Ceci.

I actually thought the taste combination was refreshing.

Go see more p,h,f,r

And read Auntie Leila's great post about how to find and make new friends!!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

I love these days! Their happy joys spread far beyond the two of them. They beam delight, play more creatively, and laughter echoes through the house.

Even though these gals don't have too many bad days, they do have their share. A recent silly argument sounded like this:

"Ma-umm, Ceci hit me."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you are."

Shortly followed apologies, hug exchanges and words of reconciliation.

The good days lift everyone's spirits and fill our home with joyful sounds. It is amazing how much these two can change the tone of our home.

Sisters have so much influence on each other in life choices, whether realized at the time, for better or worse.

My sisters and I had good times and bad times when we were their ages. As adults, our relationships are more even keeled. We have respect, love and concern for each other.

My sisters and I will be gathering our families soon with our parents to celebrate my mother's birthday. So many things have changed in our lives as we enter new phases as mothers, wives and daughters, but our relationships have become better, easier, more supportive.

I tell my daughters how blessed they are to have sisters, even when they can't imagine how because...

Your sister will be the constant of your best friends, biggest defender and harshest critic. She will hold you to higher standards and keep you honest, even without saying a word. She will valiantly keep your secrets, teach loyalty in her actions.

She is one with whom no words are needed, she will listen to you repeat yourself over and over as important and not-so important life decisions are made. She'll be the one to give you an honest answer. She will most understand your struggles.

Sometimes you won't want her around, then shortly, crave her company. It is the rare type of friendship that time doesn't change, even though many years may pass, you can pick up right where you left off. You won't need to explain changes in your hair, weight or styles; acceptance is given. A sister may hold the missing pieces in ourselves, that quality or trait we think would complete our personalities, skills or dreams. She may teach us how to obtain these qualities, or we may content ourselves to admire her for being someone we can't be.

When life finds you far apart, the strongest invisible bonds will draw you back again, hopefully before too many years pass.

Sisters help form who we are and smooth our rough edges so we can face the world.

What's your favorite aspect of having a sister?

Day 2 of Jen's 7 post in 7 day challenge.

I am hoping this is my last day of phone blogging,... (come on, cable guy)...and I'll be back up and going on a computer screen for tomorrow's post and I can fix links and photos and errors then.

Monday, July 22, 2013

We had a busy weekend; all the weekends with everyone home are just busy, fun, full of activities, eating and packing in as much as we can in a short amount of time.

Since Molly and I are still sharing a car, Friday I picked her up from Traci's to hang out at the YMCA with the girls and me. They had a great time at the water park. Lilly's swimming skills are improving. The way the park is set up with the ladder for the slide at her chest water level, pushes her to swim through the water so she doesn't know how hard she's working. Back to Traci's to pick up Nick, drop off Maggie, stay and visit for a while, over to drop Molly at Emma's to go to a concert, drop kids off at home to meet Craig for a quick sushi dinner date, back home for a humid evening walk to come home to a returning Max from offshore so we can stay up late sharing the news of all our separate adventures of the week.

Storms moved in and around us all weekend, the yard is soaked, the garden is thinking about a come back and I'm thinking I'll spend some time weeding to give it a chance. The deer in our neighborhood are beyond nuisance level. Yes, I will hold a grudge since they destroyed my garden; more concerning are the quantity of herds dashing in and out the street as I drive the mile from the entrance to my home, it is alarming. 8,9,10, or there are 5 move just about to jump in front of the car. You would think we live in a wildlife park, (which does sound kinda nice) "let's slow down and count this herd, oh look a baby!" So numerous and bold, eating the roses just outside my window, and not at all afraid of my two big dogs. Although, I think my dogs are too fascinated by wildlife to actually chase anything but squirrels. One night I watched them curiously watch a raccoon eat the last of their dinner. I did have to ask them what was wrong with them, they just looked fascinated at the cute little guy.

While the storms brought slightly cooler air, outside is heavy with humidity. Craig and I went off on our usual four mile walk, leaving crossing the dam for the last leg to spice it up. We hadn't realized the quantity of rain that had fallen, the water was rushing over the top of the dam. I was up for taking off the shoes and wade across, but my husband isn't a barefoot adventurer, and thought maybe it was deeper and slicker than I was wagering.

Just twenty slightly risky steps to open the way for the last half mile, or turn back and traverse two miles home behind us. Except, "I know a short cut through the woods" (<~ that would be me) and adventurously trusting husband followed. Two more times stopped by water too deep to pass (since he had his new walking shoes on) while I protested that we could have made it, still I was happy to drag out our normal hour together to two hours with a delightful change of scenery.

After almost two years since our diocese invited the FSSP to establish a parish, we received news that all was cleared and signed and approved for our new parish to be established and to start the capital campaign to build on the 40 acre property. Planning meetings, phone calls, emails all a flurry to start going on plans that had been placed in neutral for a while.

I look at the planning meetings a little a date night since it's just me and Craig for the long drive in and back from town plus I dress nice, talk to grown ups even though I don't have much to add to the conversation, I delightfully soak in the adult- serious-we're building a church conversations!

With this great news, we also had to change direction in Ccd planning and get classes organized for the fall. We should have a Confirmation to schedule! So many good things happening for our parish, which will bring blessings to many families, our city, and our homeschooling community.

A man asked me after Mass what my relationship was with Lilly. He had a heavy accent so I misunderstood his question and I assumed he was asking her age. Then he asked again; what was I, her grandmother, her aunt or ...mother? I laughed. I knew some day, as the kids looked older, as I looked older, people might assume she belonged to my older kids.

Nope, she's mine.

He said he was confused because, as he pointed to my eldest, he always helps with her. I thought that was a nice reason for his assumption.

I'm up writing this extra early as I couldn't sleep after the boys left for their sailing adventure. I am so excited and happy for my two boys to have this time together. Sailing, snorkeling the reefs, adventuring around beaches... I wish I could have fit in their pockets and snuck along. They promise photos and videos and I plan a whole day when they return for them to tell me everything!

I plan some girl intense activities for us this week to include a little clothes shopping for Euly, who has not stopped growing, and does not fit in clothes or shoes I bought two months ago! They do grow up too fast.

Noticing how few posts here in July, I accept Jen's challenge to post one a day til Sunday...

Saturday, July 20, 2013

For our weekly Wednesday get together, we met Carol and kids to paint ceramics. Lilly decided this bowl was going to be for her dad. Cecilia had a tough time choosing one she liked. We will pick up the final glazed and fired product next Wednesday. I hope they will all be pleasantly surprised with the very pretty final results.

{happy}

I found this photo when I was organizing boxes in the attic. We were newly engaged. I was working at the bank one summer, and a sweet friend offered to take our pictures in the pretty trees behind the bank. We were young and deliriously in love! I hadn't looked at pictures pre-marriage in many years. He jokingly tries to blame his now grey hair on me, I could say the same about my wrinkles, but it's all signs of a well lived life, and all inevitable after a life filled 27 years.

{fun/funny}

The girls love this part of the waterpark section of the Y, getting pummeled with water every three minutes.

{real}

Real because I am accepting my baby is now a big little girl, not so much a baby, and it pains my heart a little knowing she probably is my last baby. She has so many advantages of being the youngest of a wide spread of aged siblings, who most probably seem all grown up to her, (except Ceci!).

She used to be afraid of Lawrence and his many older brothers. The last visit to his house, she talked and played with them all, upon leaving, she knew she was a big kid, who was welcome to play legos and all the games. It makes my visit easier not having to leave conversations to comfort my little, frightened, shy girl, but I'll miss holding her like that.

Friday, July 19, 2013

We are having a very busy summer, thank you, probably the busiest of my kids' lives, which is due to everyone getting older, more independent and more opinionated about what they want to do, and that two have jobs, one that takes him out of town and off shore, the other's goes late into the night, another is going to two summer camps, girls to day camps, and we are down a car. Being a naturally lazy introvert, I do like a summer where most activities happen in our own backyard, and I guess those days might be over.

2

We have had more sleepovers this summer than ever. Last night, two of my older kids were at a friend's and I had one of hers here and a neighbor joined too, while husband and oldest were out of town with work. Different dynamics and eating menus and schedules...

Do I dare say I am looking forward to the routine of a school year? I know they aren't.

3

For more options to keep us on the go, we joined the YMCA. Our local Y's have very nice facilities. We had a few hours to waste between drop offs and meet ups yesterday so we hung out a the Y's water park. The attendance is down, (they opened a third in our general area), and I like the feeling of having the place to ourselves.

4

Ever notice the inconsistency of life guards' attitudes at public pools on different days? Some days they are whistle happy and all kids are guiltily looking at the lifeguard when they hear the constant whistle blasts. Other days, I find I'm the one fussing at the older gang of kids for going up the kiddie slides backyards and making the littles cry. I can be that mom when I need I be.

5

I like to have the kids spend lots of time in the water, it usually wears them out for deeper sleep at bedtime. But it isn't working on Lilly. She has caught a little cold or has some allergy where it makes her forget how to breath at night. She is a nose breather normally, so with a stuffy nose, she attempts and attempts to breath through her nose, and it seems an eternity before she yells, screams, kicks and takes a deep breath from her mouth. All. night. long. She never really wakes up, although I whisper "breath through your mouth" in her ear over and over, no change. The only position she comfortable sleeps and breathes through her mouth seems to be propping her head on my stomach while I'm in a semi sitting position.

Little sweetie.

6

I'm still working on the de-junking and de-cluttering around the house. One attic space has been cleared out, computer room is done, girls room done. But I've save the biggest monster for last, the "schoolroom". All the papers we accumulate, art projects, lessons, and endless notebooks multiplied while I wasn't looking. What is it with having to look and evaluate each item instead if dumping an area of junk without even looking at it? I know there is the thought of finding the missing puzzle piece, or what if they need this or that to remember their childhood or prove we actually home school?! It's a more exhausting project than just cleaning because there is so much evaluating going on. And it needs to be done out of sight of a certain 8 year old who is at the stage of not wanting to throw anything away. They do love the feeling of work areas cleaned and refreshed. We use to move so often these purges happened naturally every year or two. Now, we are seven years in this house and have been filling it up.

7

I must miss the change of moving and figuring out new spaces. Even as a kid I was a semi-annual room rearranger. The kids should be able to get jobs as furniture movers if need be. I moved some books, book cases, cabinets, beds around and the kids don't even imagine uttering an "aw mom", they just know if mom wants that double bookcase upstairs, they are ready to help. I'm kinda of pesty that way. At least two of my daughters already share this need for occasional rearrangement, so I don't worry about their rooms. My first and fifth are packrats who need a little push to get going.

Hoping to be done soon and be ready to start the next project of planning our school year.

Ok, I've already complained about living in the dark ages of technology since I have no Internet except on this 2"x2" phone screen, and blogger doesn't like to work on my phone, so no links either way, but you know how to get to Jen's to see more Qt's on your own, right?

Thursday, July 18, 2013

We haven't had Internet at home since Friday, due to storms, then apparently, my router died. I am switching providers and the new one can't make it until next Tuesday added to the strange cell phone dead zone under my roof and my decision to cut off satellite tv, we are living in first world dark ages.

There are the expected whiny comments:

"What am I going to do all day?"

"How am I expected to live like this?"

Then my teenager told me to get a hobby. Apparently my normal hobby includes too much reliance in the unreliable internets. Fine for the kids, they run around and play all day and then play flash light tag at night, and they fall asleep exhausted.

I do really enjoy the screen time break and didn't realize how much I "played on the computer" too. Nice change in routines.

All that to make excuses for my camera phone photo for this week's theme: Bright.

Lilly is sunshine in our day, such a bright little gal constantly sharing her observations and opinions with us.

Pardon me while I go stand on top of the kids play thing to reach a cell tower to post this.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Outside my window...getting greener with recent rain storms. It feels like all the grass and trees are happy to be so hydrated. Pleasant to be outside even in the 90's. And it looks like we will have rain all week.

I am thinking...its great to be a Texan! I am so proud of our Texas legislators. This world has changed so fast. I am so happy to see some real hope out there, because there is some.. so very bad stuff in our culture.

I am praying ... For families in this novena (starting today- join me).

I am thankful...for three big good news items this weekend! So much to be optimistic about and look forward to in the future.

In the kitchen... Everyone was off all day except Lilly. Kendall came over looking for Ceci and decided she'd stay and play. "I didn't think I could have so much fun playing with Lilly." We made cookies and play dough.

I am reading...Carry On, Mr Bowditch ( thanks Carol!) and Oars, Sails and Steam, so Nicholas can be more familiar with sailing terms and nautical meanings of lines and sheets before setting off on this:

I am listening to...these songs that got stuck in my head after reading this Quick Take. Pretty voice, nice to have playing on an overcast Monday.

Around the house...the de-junking of 2013 has begun! I had Craig, Max and Molly all motivated and helping with the girls' room rearrange, and we expanded efforts to start on the attic. So much more to do, but lots of progress so far!

then they used the left over corn to make a treat for the birds and squirrels.

{funny}

One of the teachers had attended a one room school when she was a child. While explaining a typical day, she asked for volunteers. She asked if they wanted to see what punishments for bad behavior were like. Euly had to "Sit on the Wall" (back straight against wall, knees bent like a chair). We did those in junior high basketball practice and thought they were torture.

Another child had to press his Nose in a Circle drawn on the chalk board for a designated time.

Not too bad a punishment, most likely effective since it would be humiliating to hold still and quiet in those positions. I'd imagine there were others she decided not to demonstrate.

{real}

I don't have pictures of real, but it has been real noisy and a real good time to be out of the house this week, as we have had work done on our roof. It has sounded like people heavily stomping in every part of the house, and constantly knocking at the door, so much when they did knock I didn't answer until one of the kids noticed someone really wanted our attention.